Rather than driving the 140km directly from Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, we take a day trip to Luang Prabang, doing some old-fashioned travel in Laos, taking boat cruises and detours to enjoy the beautiful scenery and local culture as much as possible.

Meet at Manifa Travel Nong Khiaw office, just off the bridge in Nong Khiaw, at 8:45 AM. Board a boat on the Nam Ou River for a misty 2-hour morning cruise to the Second Dam. A minivan awaits you at the dam’s boat pier and leaves for Manifa Elephant Camp, where you will have lunch at about 1:30 PM.

After lunch, you have two options for the next leg of the journey:

Continue by boat for a relaxing Mekong River cruise.

Switch to a kayak to paddle down the Mekong River to the Pak Ou Caves (Conditions: Minimum 2 participants, no additional charge. Kayaking and cave visit: 2 hours in total).

Both groups will stop at Pak Ou, where the Nam Ou River joins the Mekong, to explore the Buddha caves on the opposite bank. After exploring the caves, kayakers will rejoin the main boat.

Then, head down the river to Luang Prabang together. After a stop at a whiskey village that produces sticky rice spirits, the sun begins to set. You will watch a beautiful sunset over the Mekong River from the boat. You will arrive in Luang Prabang at about 6 PM. We will transfer you to your hotel of choice in Luang Prabang.